Best Illinois Colleges

There are 119 colleges and universities in Illinois enrolling 693,837 students. Explore the list of top colleges in Illinois below to begin your college search. The CollegeSimply rankings are objective and data-driven in order to help you find good matches for you. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page. Whether you're searching for a good public, private or community college, this guide to universities in Illinois offers a comprehensive view to the state's higher education options.

Illinois is home to nationally ranked institutions like University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and Wheaton College. The highest ranked college in Illinois is University of Chicago and the top rated public state college is University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.

Local college options can be explored in Chicago, Aurora and Rockford or other cities.

119 Results

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Illinois Public Private For-Profit 4 Year 2 Year

List of the Best Illinois Colleges

VanderCook College of Music

Private 4 Year
Chicago, IL
| 0 reviews

Apr 1 application deadline

VanderCook is a private college known for undergraduate music education and teacher preparation. The urban Chicago campus centers on training future band, orchestra, and choral music teachers.

4/10 Overall Rating

SAT Range 890-1160
Avg GPA 3.1
Acceptance Rate 89%
Net Price $21,306

Details

Waubonsee Community College

Public 2 Year
Sugar Grove, IL
| 0 reviews

Waubonsee is a community college offering associate degrees and career certificates for transfer and workforce entry. The main campus is in the village of Sugar Grove in the western Chicago suburbs.

SAT Range -
Avg GPA NA
Acceptance Rate 100%
Net Price $12,754

Details

credit : Jim's Photo World / license

William Rainey Harper College

Public 2 Year
Palatine, IL
4.5 | 2 reviews

Harper College is a public community college known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The suburban campus sits in Palatine in the northwest Chicago suburbs.

SAT Range -
Avg GPA 2.94
Acceptance Rate 100%
Net Price $12,145

Details

Northwestern College

Private 2 Year
Oak Lawn, IL
| 0 reviews

SAT Range -
Avg GPA NA
Acceptance Rate 100%
Net Price -

Details

Heartland Community College

Public 2 Year
Normal, IL
| 0 reviews

Heartland is a public community college known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences programs. The suburban campus is located in Normal in central Illinois.

SAT Range -
Avg GPA NA
Acceptance Rate 100%
Net Price $11,165

Details

Frontier Community College

Public 2 Year
Fairfield, IL
| 0 reviews

A community college with undergraduate programs in nursing and technical trades. Most students commute to its small campus in rural southern Illinois.

SAT Range -
Avg GPA NA
Acceptance Rate 100%
Net Price -

Details

Lincoln Trail College

Public 2 Year
Robinson, IL
| 0 reviews

Lincoln Trail is a community college offering associate degrees and career-technical programs. The small campus is in the rural town of Robinson in southeastern Illinois.

SAT Range -
Avg GPA NA
Acceptance Rate 100%
Net Price -

Details

Wabash Valley College

Public 2 Year
Mount Carmel, IL
| 0 reviews

Wabash Valley College is a public community college offering associate degrees and career-technical programs. The campus is in the small town of Mount Carmel along the Wabash River.